Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been teaching a series of Learn to Mow with an Austrian Scythe courses for Cumbria Wildlife Trust as part of their Meadow Life project. Working over the next 3 years the project aims to “enhance, restore and manage flower rich hay meadows in the area, using traditional practices to increase plant diversity.”

The workshops took place at 3 venues; Brown Robin Reserve at Grange-over-Sands, Brigsteer Bee Reserve and Piper Hole farm, Ravenstonedale. The weather has been amazing and the views stunning from the sites. It was especially nice to work at Piper Hole which is Cumbria county’s Coronation Meadow – a flagship wildflower meadow which will be used to seed other meadows in the area.

Lots of great mowing under the hot sun.

A really exciting element of this is that we are building up a local network of people who are interested in traditional meadow management and can use a scythe. Many of the people on the courses were meadow owners themselves and based in a very small area so they’ll hopefully keep in touch with each other to offer support and be the basis of a future Cumbrian Scythe Team who could mow larger meadows collectively.

Thanks to Cumbria Wildlife Trust for involving me in the project and to all the participants for making it so much fun.